Please enjoy the editor’s note from Deb Cyprych introducing you to the inclusion of color along with an overview of the contents. A full table of contents list follows.

EDITOR’S NOTE

This issue commemorates the centennial of the United States’ entry into World War I on 6 April 1917.

In the first article, Tina Beaird offers tips for starting with local and state sources to identify a soldier’s unit and then expanding to federal records to obtain more information. Craig R. Scott presents a case study without even naming a soldier. His strategies for tracing the history of a military unit result in details that would not have been found by following a soldier only by name. David R. Hardin explores the mother lode of World War I records: the Official Military Personnel Files. Although a fire destroyed most of the Army files, some can be reconstructed, and the files of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard survived

Two of our columnists focus on World War I as well. Kathy Petlewski describes the disturbing experiences of “hyphenated Americans” on the homefront. Claire Prechtel Kluskens analyzes the records of more than six thousand enemy aliens interned during the war

Continuing the religious theme of the last issue, Michael Lacopo explains the value of religious periodicals in genealogical research and strategies for locating them. Elaine Kuhn presents the variety of nontraditional records associated with church members that may flesh out their lives. Fiona Fitzsimons introduces the content and locations of records of the dissenting churches of Ireland.

This issue features the final column (on autosomal DNA tools) by Debbie Parker Wayne, NGS Magazine’s expert DNA columnist for the past four years. Many readers have learned a great deal from her column, and we thank her for her contributions.

The image of Flora McDonald on the cover of the last issue prompted positive comments. However, the image isn’t relevant to Nancy A. Peters’s article about the Scots-Irish of the Carolinas. Flora and her husband were Highland Scots, not Scots-Irish. This error of association was ours, not Nancy’s.

As part of NGS Magazine’s changing design, the digital version of this issue is introducing full color. Log in as a member at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click Members Only on the top right, and click Browse the NGS Magazine Online under Publication Archives. After downloading the issue, click a title in the table of contents to go directly to the article. All websites and advertisements are hyperlinked as well. Issues from 2005 to date are searchable individually. While on the members page, check out the many other benefits for NGS members.

+ The Knights of Columbus and the Ladies’ First Circle: Beyond Basic Church Records, by Elaine M. Kuhn

+ The Records of Irish Dissenting Churches: Part 1, by Fiona Fitzsimons

Departments

President’s Message, by Ben Spratling

Editor’s Note, by Deb Cyprych

NGS News

Reference Desk, by Kathy Petlewski, MLIS

National Archives, by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens

Genetic Genealogy Journey, by Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL

NGS Members’ Book Notices

Editor’s Note: Please note that online access to the NGS Quarterly and NGS Magazine are available only as long as your membership is active. If you wish to discontinue this option and continue to receive print copies of the journal, please with our website and update your profile to indicate the same.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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